Our 5 year old daughter was diagnosed at the age of 2 1/2 with Type 1 diabetes. She has always been a little chubby, but lately, her endocrinologist seems to be worried about premature puberty. She has some breast development and other signs which they feel are indications of this possibly going on. All of her of tests have come back normal so far. I might also add that she has had an unusual weight gain over the past 12 months (at least 10-15 pounds). They want to repeat the tests in a few months. Do you think this would be necessary and could you shed some light on this issue?

Early puberty could include breast development, pubic hair, or both. Depending on which features are present, and whether or not her growth rate is faster than average for a child her age, will determine what tests need to be done and whether or not you need to be “concerned”. Early puberty is not more common in children with diabetes, but can be seen in children with thyroid problems, which are more common in children with diabetes. Some children with early signs of puberty aren’t actually in full blown puberty and this early development may be a variation of normal. It is best to ask your child’s own endocrinologist to explain to you which signs of puberty are present, whether her growth has been normal for a prepubertal child (growth rate increases in puberty or in any case with abnormally high production of the hormones of puberty) and whether the doctor feels this is a “variation of normal” or not. In any case, close monitoring of her growth and development is important.

TGL